The CDC is Lying to You

By

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March 29, 2019

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, with a bust of Hygiea, the Greek goddess of health.

[Ed: We are pleased to repost this research with permission by DRGO ally Carl Bussjaeger, originally published March 12 at The Zelman Partisans, a no compromise Jewish gun rights organization for everyone. CDC and other government data may be the best available, but that doesn’t mean they’re accurate. Doctors don’t search through 150,000 codes to diagnose, and 1% of the nation’s hospitals doesn’t match reality. You can also read about this at number experts FiveThirtyEight.]

I’ve mentioned the problem with highly variable firearm homicides numbers in the FBI UCR vs. the CDC’s WISQARS. For 2017, the UCR claims 10,982 firearms homicides, while the CDC says 14,542, 32% higher. Part of that is reporting.

The UCR is based on reported numbers from law enforcement agencies. But not all report.

The CDC, though…

The CDC numbers are based on emergency department reports, using ICD-10 codes. But, like the FBI, they don’t…use data from every hospital. In fact, they pick out just 60 hospitals and use their reports as a proxy for the country. It’s rather like Rasmussen pseudo-randomly surveying 1,000 people in hopes of picking a representative sample of all Americans, and extrapolating from there.

And that’s a huge problem.

If more of the sample hospitals are in places like Chicago, Saint Louis, or Baltimore, it skews the results, because those locations have a disproportionate number of firearms homicides compared to Alamogordo, New Mexico. If you assume everywhere has a firearms homicide rate like Baltimore, you’re going to extrapolate an unrealistically high number. Maybe even 32% higher than what the FBI says.

Problem, right?

I’ve barely started.

First, a 60 hospital sample is ridiculous when there are 6,210 hospitals in the US.

CDC samples fewer than 1% of hospitals.

Second, there is no good reason to do a 60 hospital sample. Or a 600 hospital sample.

To comply with the federal HIPAA law, since October 1, 2015, every HIPAA-covered entity — every hospital — in the nation reports every single gunshot wound, by ICD-10 code, to the government. All 6,210. For Every. Single. Patient. ICD-10 is just the latest iteration. They have been collecting this data for years.

The CDC doesn’t need to sample, then guess at the total number. The total number for every hospital in the country is already at their disposal. At most, they might have to make extremely minor adjustments for occasional coding errors. But since Medicare/Medicaid and insurance payments are based on the reported codes, the existing system already checks for coding errors. Damned few should slip past insurance companies dead set on paying out the least they can.

In fact, they have more data than just “gunshot injury.” ICD-10 breaks it down by intent (accidental/self, accidental/other, suicide, homicide) and weapon (machinegun, rifle, shotgun, handgun, other). There is a separate code for each possible combination. More codes if multiple weapons. More codes for where on the body the injury is. The admission data (which they get) includes age, race (with more choices than the 6 given in WISQARS), gender. They have the hospital location for geographic distribution of injuries.

And it isn’t just fatal injury, all those code options are there for nonfatal injuries.

With the available data, the CDC can sort for “white males, 18-24, shot in lower back, in Kalamazoo, fatal and non-fatal” and give you the exact numbers.

I’ve played with the WHO ICD database, and the available data is amazing.

So why isn’t the CDC simply using the raw data, instead of sampling and extrapolating? Is it too difficult to get to get the data for research purposes?

No. ICD is designed for researchers to use, by intent. Medical people hate it because — to make any possible injury/illness in which a researcher might someday be interested — there are upwards of 150,000 different codes to choose from; want to know how many people are bitten by large dogs vs. small; it’s there.

There’s only one reason for the CDC to forego using the entire database as intended, and cherry-pick a handful of “representative” hospitals.

Because the raw data doesn’t support the laws the victim-disarming gun controllers want.

The raw data would tell us who is getting shot. With what. What the victims’ demographic and geographic distribution is. Combined with the UCR, it would tell gun controllers which criminals to target, and how. All the things the CDC pretends it can’t do.

The CDC has to lie about injury reports to rationalize targeting honesty gun owners who don’t commit the crimes.

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— DRGO Editor Robert B. Young, MD is a psychiatrist practicing in Pittsford, NY, an associate clinical professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

All DRGO articles by Robert B. Young, MD

Aero Precision M5 Build Part 2: The Receiving

By

Dr LateBloomer

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March 29, 2019

Welcome to Part 2 of “A Pediatrician Builds Her Own AR10” or #soeasyapediatricancandoit – brought to you by Aero Precision, and Ballistic Advantage.

In Part 1 of this series I overcame beginner’s hesitation and completed the ordering process for parts and tools.

My excitement rose as I awaited shipment of all the pieces that would soon become my new M5 hunting rifle. The barrel from Ballistic Advantage arrived on my front porch, but the Aero Precision box – because it contained the lower receiver – had to go through an FFL.

Fortunately a friend from my gun club provides those services, so I had the box shipped to him. When he texted me that it had arrived, I was all aflutter!

We went through the formalities of the transfer paperwork, and then his wife broke out the Girl Scout cookies. (I bet you don’t get cookies at your FFL!)

We have to go through these governmental 4473 formalities because the lower receiver is the part with the serial number and is considered “A Gun”, even if it isn’t yet assembled into one. Yes – firearms law always make sense – don’t forget that. Your government is here to protect you.

I was prepared to be a little overwhelmed with all the boxes and pieces, but everything was well-labeled by Aero. This made sorting and breaking it all down into categories much easier. It was only slightly more involved than that time when I dragged home and assembled an IKEA loft bed all by myself – there just wasn’t as much heavy lifting.

I have to say that these Aero components are beautifully done. The finishing and cerakoting are all very smooth and lovely. No sharp edges or burrs anywhere. And that’s just looking at them individually. I can’t wait to see what they look like all pulled together into a whole.

While I was sorting through and opening boxes, I also spent part of that day watching Ballistic Advantage’s Builder Series of videos. I wanted to have some idea of what I was going to be doing during the various steps of the build. I am visual learner, so I found these videos very helpful.

I also took the time that weekend to organize the tools I thought I would need.

The tools I think I’m going to need. I’ll soon find out if I’m missing anything.

You may notice that my “work bench” is a little … atypical. That’s because I put it together from random unused pieces of furniture in my basement. After the parts order, I realized that I was going to need an organized cleaned-off surface upon which to create my new gun. It needed to be somewhere I could attach a vise – which left out the kitchen table. Thus, I now have a board-covered table top and some short file cabinets in which to store my tools – all tucked into my gun corner of the basement. Now that I have the work bench and tools, it gives me an excuse for this to not be my “only” build.

But I have to do THIS one first.

I decided to start with the lower receiver, because the procedures on that end were things that I had done before. Less intimidation that way.

Stay tuned for the next installment wherein I actually do some building! I’m excited to get started!

Sig Sauer 77gr OTM: An Accidental Review

By

Keith Finch

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March 28, 2019

I accidentally the whole thing…

Let me explain the use of that ‘ancient’ internet trope.

On this particular trip to the range I did not intend to evaluate Sig’s 77gr OTM 223 Remington ammunition… yet.

There were a number of other tasks already on the plate and isolating that one and testing the ammunition was going to be a later task. But I did bring it out to get some pictures in the sunshine and if the fates aligned on other items I would shoot some to group and zero.

Then the shooting started… and during a particularly vigorous live fire drill in the afternoon I started grabbing magazines… magazines that had been loaded with my supply of shiny 77gr OTM

Several magazines later, a pair of 20rd and a pair of 30rd on the end, I had a smile on my face and a nice hot SCAR 16. My eye caught the tail end of a case though and I was momentarily puzzled. It wasn’t a Federal headstamp, like the 55gr I was shooting had…

After a few Holmesian deductions the inescapable conclusion was I had just estactically burned through my pile of 77gr OTM. Oh well. No crying over fresh fired brass. I did enjoy it.

I had wanted to save some for “social” use. The kind that should someone become lethally anti-social and begin the murders, kidnappings, or rapes I could hit that share button and demonstrate just how effective 77gr is at stopping such abhorrent activities. A real SJW activity, more commonly referenced as the rights of self preservation.

What happened on the range?

I was having a good time and started grabbing ammo from the closest magazines.

Performance wise: Sustained fire groups shrank by about 50% in my SCAR firing supported. 55gr XM193 punches the target I want but the 77gr went unerringly where I told it to go. This accuracy increase is consistent with SOCOM’s evaluation on Mk262, a 77gr OTM round.

REFactor Tactical has some excellent accuracy diagnostic targets

Shooting at the REFactor Tactical GTG Baseline I went A-G across the target. I was shooting rapid fire/sustained rate and the rest of target was already dirty with other shots and zeroing other guns. [This is an excellent consistency drill target, review on a set to come]

The A-G circles were clean though and 50 meters was fun to pop shots.

Fire.

Tore out the A raggedly with 30 rounds. Reload.

Fire.

Tore out the B with a couple fliers. Reload

Fire.

C tore up with several shots just outside. One punched the D. Whatever, I’m having fun. Reload.

20 rounder this time and I can get low and steady on the bench. My friend is beside me playing single shot and controlled pair talking guns with me and his new 14.5″ AR with LPVO firing center mass.

Fire. Tear out the D. Tight group. I felt I had zoned in on my cadence. (I had also just switched to the 77gr)

Reload. Fire. Reload. Fire. Reload. Fire. D through G had some seriously impressive groups looking through my ACOG. 20, 20, 30, 30 in nice notably tighter patterns from the A-C shooting.

I need to bench this ammo through a precision set up in the future but the accuracy in rapid is encouraging to see.

Why Sig 77gr?

This is a factory match load. It’s well made. Well regulated for discrepancies and variance and flies very accurately. Bullets will be consistently made, powder consistently measured, and brass inspected on loaded to a higher standard.

For true match purposes I’m certain a handload could do best but I’m not looking for a Precision Rifle Series load… yet. I’m looking for an effective social/duty round.

So on top of the increased accuracy, consistent performance, and extra attention given to the load at the factory I require something that gives excellent terminal performance.

“Ballistics tests found that the round [Mk262 77gr OTM] caused “consistent initial yaw in soft tissue” between 3 and 4 in at ranges from 15 feet to 300 meters. Apparently it is superior to the standard M855 round when fired from an M4 or M16 rifle, increasing accuracy from 3–5 minutes of angle to 2 minute of angle. It possesses superior stopping power, and can allow for engagements to be extended to up to 700 meters when fired from an 18-inch barrel. It appears that this round can drastically improve the performance of any AR-15 weapon chambered to .223/5.56 mm. Superior accuracy, wounding capacity, stopping power and range have made this the preferred round of many special forces operators, and highly desirable as a replacement for the older, Belgian-designed 5.56×45mm SS109/M855 NATO round. In one engagement, a two-man special forces team reported 75 kills with 77 rounds.^[121][122] The Mk 262 has a higher ballistic coefficient than the M855 of (G1)0.362 / (G7)0.181, meaning it loses less velocity at long-range.^[109]” – Synapsis on the Mk262

The 77gr round is better at the job across the board. Mk262 Mod 1 is a militarized variant on a .223 Remington match round from Black Hills Ammunition. They swapped to 5.56x45mm brass and optimized the powder for low flash and increased chamber heat in a higher rate of fire military application. The round, originally designed for bolt action slow fire, was toughened for running in semi-auto and automatic fire.

Sig Sauer’s variant on the 77gr OTM has been developed where higher rate of fire semi-automatic use is the norm. Their round feeds and cycles flawlessly and the performance on the target is precisely what I wanted to see. The lead core rounds are superior to the M855 when it comes to terminal ballistics and overpenetration concerns. Superior wounding capability and improved range just further opened the envelope of what the rifle I put it through can do.

In short, its title says “Elite Match” however it is an even more ideal self defense and home defense candidate. The 77gr OTM boosts accuracy, tissue disruptive properties, and avoids many of the limitations and potential hazards of the partial steel core M885/SS109.

At $24.95/box or less (bulk) it’s right in the range of reasonable defensive ammo.

DeSantis Gunhide® introduces fitments in two holsters for the VIRDIAN X5L, XTL, AND FACT CAMERAS

By

Keith Finch

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March 28, 2019

AMITYVILLE, NY – For nearly five decades, DeSantis has been developing, designing, and manufacturing the very best gun holsters that money can buy. We pride ourselves on using the best American-Premium hides and the toughest synthetics on the market for our holsters and accessories.

The TAC-LITE® is built from premium saddle leather and molded to the exact specifications for secure and concealable carry. This model features three slots for multiple carry options. MSRP is $96.99

The Speed-Lite™ is our speedy version of our Tac-Lite holster. We eliminated the thumb break for an even faster draw. It is built from premium saddle leather and molded to the exact specifications for secure and concealable carry. This model features three slots for multiple carry positions. MSRP is $90.99

These holsters now comes in sizes available to accommodate:

GLOCK 17, 22, 31 W/ VIRIDIAN X5L, XTL, FACT CAMERA
GLOCK 19, 23, 32 W/ VIRIDIAN X5L, XTL, FACT CAMERA
S&W M&P 9/40 FULLSIZE W/ VIRIDIAN X5L, XTL, FACT CAMERA
SIG P320, P250 FULLSIZE W/ VIRIDIAN X5L, XTL, FACT CAMERA

One of Those Days on the Range

By

Dr LateBloomer

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March 27, 2019

Have you ever had “one of those days” on the range?

That was me a few weekends ago. I loaded up the car on a sunny Saturday and drove to my gun club range to sight-in a new rimfire rifle and scope. But almost from the moment I got there, it seemed like anything that could go wrong, did. Nothing safety or injury-wise thank goodness, but just the a huge cluster of frustrations.

It all started when I went to set up a target stand. The stapler at the range was empty. So I moved to Plan B and grabbed my own stapler from my target bag. Also empty – durn it! Somehow my box of refill staples had not made it into the bag, either. *Grrrrr*

(This brings back a memory of a coworker who once complained bitterly about people leaving the lab stapler empty. I pointed out to him that this was a useless complaint. How would one know that one had used the last staple unless one tried to use it again, at which point one would come up empty and then refill the staples?)

So I tried Plan C – which was to try to stick the target to the uprights using extra stick-on targets as if they were tape. But they weren’t sticky enough and the day was too breezy.

Plan D was to search my car and the range building to see if there were any other options – like the duct tape I usually keep in my car – which was also gone.

I finally scrounged up a few random pieces of extra staples that were on a shelf in the building. It wasn’t an entire bar of refills – just twosies and threesies that no one else has wanted to bother with. But it was enough to get my target stapled so I could move on. (I’ve since bought a new box of staples, and I need to run back over to the club and leave some for the next poor schlub in my position.)

Although the morning was sunny, the grass on the range was not well-drained. It was sloppy and mushy due to the previous week’s rain and melting snow. I had not worn my muck boots, but rather a pair of hiking boots that had previously failed me in the supposedly “waterproof” department. Big surprise – they failed again. My socks started feeling soggy on my first trip downrange to place the target stand. At least they were wool socks, so my feet stayed warm.

When I returned to the bench to get ready to sight in, I discovered a pro tip:

If your boots are wet from the sloppy range, don’t forget about that and then try to raise your seated height by sitting on your foot. My cotton jeans did not stay warm when wet. Just sayin’.

After I got my wet behind settled down to sight-in my new rimfire rifle – it failed to extract. At least I had remembered my pocket knife. I flipped the spent brass out with the tip of my knife, and hoping maybe this was just the new gun getting broken in, I tried to proceed with the sight-in. It ejected the next couple rounds and then stopped extracting again – this time for good. The rifle was shooting accurately, but even trying different ammo didn’t help – I needed to knife-extract every round. *sigh*

To top it off, the day was breezy and occasionally made the target paper flap, until one gust of wind tipped the whole target stand over backwards, spilling it into the slop.

I took the hint.

I went home, threw the boots in the garbage, and took a nap.

Knife Control in Great Britain?

By

DRGO

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March 27, 2019

(from haciendapub.com)

[Ed: We are reposting Dr. Faria’s article showing the extent of the statist, anti-weapons hysteria that has bloomed in the formerly peaceable kingdom. It originally appeared at HaciendaPub.com on March 7.]

In a previous article, I described how news articles coming out of BBC News have become so biased and critical not only of President Donald Trump and Republicans but also of our judicial system and crime statistics. The pot I showed was calling the kettle black! In fact in that same article I responded exposing the deplorable crime statistics in Great Britain despite draconian gun control laws. I wrote:

“America has its share of crime, but at least in the U.S. it has been decreasing for decades, while in Great Britain it is increasing exponentially. London has become the crime capital of the world and not just for burglaries, but also for rapes and assaults with guns and knives. And remember knives are prohibited on the streets of London and handguns are prohibited in all of Great Britain.”

Great Britain has been swamped with immigrants like much of Europe, many of them contributing not only to common crimes but also terrorism and ethnic strife. “Britain has also become the global capital for acid attacks.” Acid attacks require a bit of an explanation. It refers to the horrible mutilating practice by immigrants from India and southeast Asian countries of throwing acid or other corrosive substances in the face of unwary victims, a practice that amounts to more than 800 per year.

Furthermore, I found:

“London has surpassed New York City in serious crimes and murders, something that has not happened in two hundred years, not even at the time of Jack the Ripper and the Whitechapel murders (1888-1891). In fact, the latest crime figures for England and Wales compiled in the fall of 2017 reveal an overall increase in violence and crime that astounded the United Kingdom — a 22 percent rise in rape, 26 percent rise in knife crimes, and a dramatic and even steeper rise in gun offenses — compounding the ascent that was noted in 2016.”

And yet, in the past six months (from the time I wrote the article), progressive British Labor politicians are finally admitting the problem of increasing violence — never mind they continue to push for the same failed solutions of gun control and prohibition of self-defense. Incredibly they are now blaming Prime Minister Theresa May for their own failures at crime control in the large cities where their own Labour politicians control municipalities, particularly the industrial districts such as Liverpool and Manchester, not to mention London. Labour politicians recruited a former police official Lord Stevens (Metropolitan Commissioner, 2000-2005) to criticize Mrs. May for alleged “mishandling crime and policing as PM and when she was home secretary.” This gives new meaning to the term finger-pointing and misallocation of responsibility.

Where was Lord Stevens when Labour officials and London’s Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, launched their campaign against using “stop and search” on ethnic groups? Police officials have done nothing to oppose the soft-on-crime policies of Labour politicians in the metropolitan areas. The rank and file police officers are afraid to act. As I reported previously, “London police chief Cressida Dick has admitted, ‘constables have become fearful of confronting suspects as they might get into trouble or might not be supported if they had a complaint.’ ” Now knife violence has become a growing concern in the capital; although knives, as we pointed out, are already prohibited on the streets of London.

This week a BBC article crowed, “Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mrs. May was not doing enough to tackle the root causes of knife crime.” Doesn’t that sound familiar? Labour has even recruited a “conservative” politician and Home Secretary of the United Kingdom, Sajid Javid, who called for knife crime to be “treated like a disease.” It seems gun control tactics from America are crossing the Atlantic to our British cousins to assist them in pushing for knife control as a public health issue in place of crime control. In the meantime, British citizens will have to barricade themselves in their homes, which are no longer their castles, and be prepared to run in the streets as there is no such thing as “stand your ground.” Those accosted, mugged, or knifed would be lucky to find a constable when they need him, and one who would be willing to intercede.

All the while, women will continue to become rape victims with no right to armed self-defense. When confronted by a rapist, British women have been instructed to run, and if outrun, to shout. The use of any type of weapon to fend off home invasion or to deter a rapist — knives, or God forbid, guns — are forbidden. If all else fails, the only item that a woman is permitted to use is a rape alarm!

So there you have it! This is the status, or rather the nadir, that human dignity has reached for law-abiding citizens in Great Britain, where criminals are coddled, while social and economic justifications are made for their crimes.

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— Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D. is a retired Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery and Adjunct Professor of Medical History at Mercer University School of Medicine. He is Associate Editor in Chief and World Affairs Editor of Surgical Neurology International. He served on the CDC’s Injury Research Grant Review Committee.

All DRGO articles by Miguel A. Faria, Jr., MD

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know… And This Guy Doesn’t Know.

By

Keith Finch

-

March 26, 2019

I generally do not like taking someone to task publically. It largely precludes the learning curve and prevents better information from getting in. I am also not an end all be all expert in the field by any means.

But when this ignoramus spouts drivel using his Military background as a claim of expertise and this is far from the only questionable thing of his in this circle… game on.

“Why The AR-15 Sucks For Preppers”

I’m a 28-year Green Beret veteran (8 years boots-on-the-ground just in Afghanistan). My family comes from a manufacturing background.

Ok, credentials. Cool. Weird you feel the need to establish a familial ‘manufacturing’ background? Your argument should stand scrutiny regardless, but go on.

And, I hate the AR-15.

Weird flex… but ok. Most people would disagree, but opinions are what they are. Why should I hate it?

This sounds like an AA meeting for American veterans, so I better put up a decent argument soon before I’m lynched. Why does the AR suck?

Yes, please make your case.

It’s interesting that you are building a subjective image that those in disagreement are a lynch mod though. Could it be you’re argument isn’t solid and you need some extra demerits to your detractors? Could it be you don’t know what you’re talking about half as well as you think you do? Dunning? Kruger?

It’s too complex. Any time you have a system that is complex, you have two results: efficiency and fragility.

The AR is too complex… How? How are it’s systems so dramatically more complicated than other designs?

Answer: They aren’t.

Efficiency and fragility are not the result of a complicated system, maybe certain component or material choices increase and decrease efficiency and durability but and I do not understand why these descriptors were used or why efficiency is presented as a negative here.

In the military we are taught that the AR-15 is a fine weapon “as long as you maintain it.” In truth, the design works (80% of the time) in spite of itself, and has gone through so many design iterations that people have lost count. The history of the AR-15 is a history of band-aids.

All weapons require maintenance. Vietnam would like it’s overplayed misconstrued argument back. All current weapons systems fielded by modernized militaries are the subject of product improvement programs. AK47 to AKM to AK74 to AK12 for example, since this knob is an AK fanboi.

From front to back:

The front sight assembly sits ridiculously high because the straight (non-ergonomic) stock has to contain a massive spring and buffer assembly. If the weight or spring compression in that assembly is off just a small amount, it causes malfunction. This design flaw, right out of the gate, causes a huge mechanical offset where the eye lines up around three inches higher than the barrel. That’s why in 2019 you can’t find a new AR-15 with an old school front sight assembly.

2018 new and still in production… Also every stand issue M4A1 coming off of Colt and FN’s line. Also the same height as all flip up sights. I can’t fathom why he hates barrel sight offset…

I don’t know why barrel sight offset is causing him to go into a fit of tremors but since most modern fielded weapon systems are mirroring the offset and/or increasing the offset (1.93″ anyone?) this seems to be a non sequitur feature and not a detriment. Listing, just off the top of my head, the rifles with inline recoil systems and ~3″ sight offset are: AR, SCAR, ACR, Barrett M82/M107, Barrett MRAD, G36, Tavor/X95, HK433, XM2010, MK13Mod7…

Why is inline so prominent?

Because, having your recoil impulse in line with your shoulder is ergonomically sensical. Weapons design has crept closer and closer to the AR, not further away. But what do the guys building the guns know? I’m sure none of them have experience or spoke with other tip of the spear folks when designing their submissions. [/sarc]

The gas tube is thin, fragile and subject to bending or breaking—usually taking the rifle out of commission. If a build up of mud, water or carbon decreases gas pressure to the bolt, the the AR-15 fails to cycle. This is particularly common with AR’s that have shorter barrels. That’s why gas rods have become all the rage. Yet another band aid…

If any gas system takes damage the rifle will probably be out of commision. Dent an AK gas tube some time or bust a roller inside an MP5.

However, they invented this wonderful thing back in the day called a handguard that does an admirable job of protecting that gas tube. Today that protection is better than ever since it’s usually a massive solid machined aluminum shield made by Knight’s Armament, Daniel Defense, or Geissele (speaking of M4’s).

I have seen ONE gas tube related failure on an M4. One. Ever.

“If a build up of mud, water or carbon decreases gas pressure…” I don’t think he knows how a gas system works. The system blows itself clear after each round. A significant enough obstruction in the gas system will blow the system, not act like a half closed propane valve.

“Particularly common with shorter barrels…” No. Short barrel rifles tend to be over gassed, not under, and will wear the gas port faster. Gas port erosion is the term, which will actually further over gas the gun as the port opens up. The whole cycle is also affected by the length of the barrel beyond the gas port. This controls dwell time, the time the gas system is sealed and feeding the action pressure to cycle it.

Also what is a “gas rod”? I’m inferring he means gas piston and operating rod, but since he’s the 28 year SOF veteran with the manufacturing background I’m certain he meant to use the term… despite it not matching any operational AR part.

The star chamber and bolt face are perhaps the single biggest design flaw of the AR-15. That’s the eight-petaled flower at the front of the bolt. Flowers don’t belong in assault rifles. Some say the star chamber provides accuracy. It does not. Bolt-action sniper rifles don’t have star chambers. They have two or three lug bolts and they are the gold standard for accuracy.

“Flowers don’t belong in Assault Rifles…” Wait… What? What kind of argument is that? A Flower? It looks like a flower and therefore it’s wrong?

Also nobody says the star chamber provides accuracy. Nobody. It’s the locking chamber, it provides a seal like every other rotating bolt design including the bolt action rifles you mention at the end of the paragraph. Which aren’t the ‘gold standard for accuracy’ because of their chamber design, they’re the gold standard because of the number of moving parts and those parts influence on the gun during firing. Tangentially that fact actually lends itself to the AR’s accuracy; less moving parts around the barrel causing exterior influencing pressures during firing.

Ask any soldier about weapons inspection and they will tell you the test is worming a pinky in the chamber of the rifle. The pinky never comes out clean and that should give us a clue. The single most important part of the rifle is nearly impossible to keep clean even in a garrison setting.

Hold up… that’s not the standard at all beyond an anecdote referencing “inspection ready” parade ground weapons. A functionally clean weapon has a smooth running and properly lubricated action with minimal fouling present. Unless it’s so crustily fouled that it is impeding the travel of the bolt it’s fine. No seriously.

Think about that for a minute: the point where the bolt, bullet, and barrel meet is almost impossible to keep clean in an AR-15.

No it isn’t. They make plenty of cheap tools to specifically clean that part. Like really really easy. 10 minutes of your life after you’ve dumped a bunch of ammo down range.

The lugs on the bolt that lock into the star chamber are essentially a series of gears that if they don’t match up exactly, they cause a failure to feed or a failure to fire.

Not how that works in the slightest… The locking lugs are a sealing system and their placement means the bolt doesn’t have to turn very far to close and seal. It isn’t a gear. It isn’t a flower. Failure to feed is nearly always a magazine related stoppage. Failure to fire is an ammunition related stoppage. Neither have anything to do with the chamber.

Any number of things can cause the lugs not to pass efficiently through the star portion of the chamber: dirt

Yes something in the way causes all bolts not to close, that is called an obstruction and will stop every gun ever.

heat expansion

What? Of the chamber and bolt face? Nope. Watch a “burn down video and tell me where the gun stopped because the bolt or chamber warped out of spec. Example please. I’ll counter example here.

ice

An obstruction… again… and one that is very quickly self correcting in a hot gun. Also closed bolt guns are sealed systems so how did the ice sneak in with an open cycle time of 1/13th of a second. Did you purposely feed an snow impacted magazine into the rifle? I have. First live fire and maneuver exercise I ever ran there was almost 2 feet of snow that had fallen overnight and I tripped and fell and jammed snow everywhere, but my M16 ran fine chock-full of snowy magazines.

wobbly bolt carrier or wear and tear.

Wobbly carrier you say? Carrier tilt was an issue on piston guns for a very specific reason, the force impacted to the carrier to cycle it was not in line with the rest of the carrier. The force on a piston is centered on where the gas key would be, above the majority of the carrier’s mass. The force on a DI gun is centerline inside the carrier as the gas forces the unlocking motion from the bolt carrier interior.

All can cause a bolt to seat incorrectly in the chamber, or not to extract after firing, causing a whole host of malfunctions. This is one of the reasons the forward assist was developed.

Still wrong. Using words that sound kind of correct doesn’t equate to accurately describing an issue. The bolt is either open and in the unlocked position or in the chamber closed in the locked position. The bolt has plenty of clearance to chamber unless there is a serious obstruction that needs to be cleared, like a double feed. Issues experienced by all self-loading rifles regardless of bolt type are not AR weaknesses. It was also not the reason the forward assist was developed.

More on Page 2

The Desantis Kurz Shotgun Scabbard

By

Travis Pike

-

March 25, 2019

Some of my favorite movie heroes like to carry a shotgun on their back, from Ash “this is my boomstick” Williams, to Corporal “I like to keep this handy for close encounters,” Hicks. The idea isn’t new, but the current market offers very few quality options. The Desantis Kurz Shotgun scabbard stands above the current crop of Chinese made nylon options. Well to be honest they call it a shotgun case, but it’s certainly works as a scabbard.

With the rise of guns like the TAC 14 and Mossberg Shockwave a quality shotgun scabbard needed to become a thing. These guns are tricky to carry on a sling, and you can’t exactly holster them, so a scabbard it is. Additionally, this would be a great option for guns like Mares Leg lever actions or SBS/AOW guns.

The name itself is pretty cool. Kurz means short in German so a Kurz Shotgun Case means Short Shotgun case.

What Sets the Kurz Apart?

The first thing that makes this such an awesome scabbard is the fact it is made from leather. Most are made from a cheap nylon material that’s not exactly well known for its durability. Leather is not only a durable material, but it looks damn good. This is especially true when it is paired with my TAC 14 Hardwood model. Admittedly I had to remove the front sling for it to fit. The Hardwood sling guard is a massive shield so it makes senses it needs to be removed. Got now it sits in my spare parts box with my SB 15 braces, a random box of 243 WSSM, and my old 80 lower jigs.

A standard TAC 14 and Mossberg Shockwave fits perfectly in the Kurz shotgun scabbard though.

The Kurz is outfitted with both a sling for across the back carry as well as a carrying handle if you wanted to use it as a standard case. The whole setup is completely ambidextrous and it’s easy swap the configuration. The sling is attached via snap buttons and it can be swapped from side to side. It comes with a 5 round shell carrier that is also easy to remove and swap sides with. Lastly the retention device is attached via button and done so on both sides.

Carrying the Kurz Shotgun Scabbard

The smooth fitted nature of these pump action firearms makes them easy to carry. Nothing pokes or prods the body. The Kurz itself is quite thick though, and this keeps the gun from rubbing or hitting me. The strap is long enough to fit, but I wish it was at least a few inches longer. I’m a big guy and the strap just barely fits.

Drawing from the scabbard is quick and intuitive. The retaining strap is very large and very easy to disengage with the hand. That said, the strap will not disengage on accident very easily. I held the whole package upside down and shook it hard to see if the gun could disengage the strap. The gun was of course empty and the action was left opened.

It never fell out, and the strap staid put. Once the strap is defeated draw the gun up and away from the body. Be careful not to flag yourself. As a rightie, I carry the gun over my right shoulder with the grip right side up. It’s easy and safe to draw from this position.

Its best to brace the strap with your off hand until the gun clears the case.

Covered Up

Outside of walking around like Denzel in the Book of Eli the case is perfect for traveling in all sorts of vehicles. From your truck to your ATV the case is a great companion. The Kurz provides protection to the gun in a multitude of ways. The entire gun is covered except the bird’s head grip. This, of course, protects the finish of the gun, but also covers the trigger for safety reasons. It also keeps dirt, grime, and everything else from getting into the gun’s action.

While it from water proof, it is certainly water resistant. It’ll protect your gun from light rain and splashes. The Kurz is more than a stylish scabbard, but a genuinely handy piece of gear if you own, carry or use these type of weapons. It will fit 410 and 20 gauge models and you can get additional shell carriers for different calibers. You can get yours here.

Happy Gun-iversary to Me!

By

Dr LateBloomer

-

March 24, 2019

I realized that sometime in this month of March is my ten-year anniversary of entering the “Gun Culture”.

Sometime in March 2009 I made my first firearm purchase. It was a Gen 3 Glock 19. Although I asked for advice, and did a good bit of online reading before I made my decision, I did all of the shopping around completely by myself.

That’s why I can tell you from personal experience that things have DEFINITELY improved for women in the gun world in ten years’ time. I made my purchase in the store that treated me well and with respect – but they weren’t all like that.

People may ask what made me decide to purchase a firearm. It wasn’t that I felt unsafe, or had been attacked. It was just because I didn’t want firearms to be a great big intimidating mystery anymore.

I grew up in a hunting household. My dad was a lifelong outdoorsman and had quite a gun collection. It was not uncommon for Dad to clean his shotgun in the living room in front of the TV after a day afield. I remember well the smell of Hoppe’s #9 as a child.

But for some reason the guns thing just never rubbed off on me. When dad died, I didn’t know anything about any of the guns that were in his safe – yet his hunting buddies and my brother told stories about all of them. It made me feel bad that I had missed that legacy somehow.

I was still in pediatric residency at the time as a mid-life med student, but I decided that once I got done and settled, that I wanted to learn about guns.

So when I finished medical training, and passed my boards, I started asking questions about how to get started in shooting. I ended up with that Glock 19 and a date for a Basic Pistol Class on the calendar.

It’s hard for me to believe how far I have come in ten years’ time. I’m not going to tell you how many guns are in my safe now, but suffice to say that the Glock isn’t getting lonely, and there are rifles and shotguns too. It makes me wonder what my father would think of all this if he could see it now. And building my own AR from scratch? Who’d a thunk?

Not that I bit it all off at once mind you. My usual mode of operation is cautious baby-steps and lots of circumspection before I attempt something new. I tend to walk around the new thing, inspect it from a safe distance, read up on it, and watch it for awhile. Once my decision is made – then I jump in.

But even with all that circumspection, over the past ten years I went from one semi-auto pistol to *mumble mumble* guns, competing in everything from IDPA and USPSA to Steel, 3-Gun, and sporting clays, and now hunting.

While I have been decidedly average at the competition stuff, it gave me opportunities to work on my skills, travel, and meet all sorts of cool people from across the spectrum of the shooting world. I recommend competition to anybody who wants to move past just plinking all by themselves on a weekend. It’s way more fun than a Sunday golf game, and the people are usually more interesting too.

While my ten years at this shooting stuff has broadened my horizons considerably, I still consider myself just a learner. An “experienced” learner to be sure, but there is ALWAYS something new to expose oneself to, and a wise man or woman never stops learning.

Looking forward to what the next ten years has in store!

U.S. 10th Circuit has Halted the Bump Stock Ban

By

Keith Finch

-

March 22, 2019

With the bump stock ban set to take effect next week the court has placed a temporary hold on it while a determination is made in the case of W. Clark Aposhian.

The lawsuit, filed in January in a Salt Lake City U.S. District Court, challenges the proper role of administrative agencies– such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives– and whether their regulations on the bump stock may contradict a law passed by Congress, specifically the definition of a “machine gun” as set by lawmakers in 1934 and 1968. The case argues that ATF essentially rewrote the definition as set out by previous laws, something that was not in the agency’s power to do. – Guns.com

The result of the ATF inclusion of bump stocks as machine guns essentially, at President Trump’s behest, expanding the definitions provided by the National Firearms Act and the Gun Control Act without the laws being amended by congress is allowing a federal agency the license to rewrite a law once passed.

While U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parrish, a 2015 appointment by President Obama, turned away Aposhian’s request for an injunction on Wednesday, saying his case has “not shown a likelihood of success,” NCLA filed an emergency request to the 10th Circuit who granted the injunction. Both sides have until March 29 to file a further response with the court.

“The Court’s decision to stay the bump stock rule is an important recognition of the high stakes in this case,” noted NCLA. “While the order is limited, the Court recognizes that Mr. Aposhian has raised a substantial basis to question the rule’s validity.”

New Zealand Bans “Assault Weapons”…

By

Keith Finch

-

March 22, 2019

In the wake of the Christchurch terror attack the New Zealand government has take swift and decisive action… exactly like the terrorist wanted them to.

The gun control proponent camp is lauding the NZ government for their efforts to remove assault weapons from the hands of the citizenry. A buy back is slated to begin in April. These efforts are all in a reactionary attempt to keep a motivated extremist from visiting violence upon unarmed (by law) groups of people.

I haven’t seen the terms of the proposed buyback. I haven’t read the definition of semi-automatic assault weapon that they propose to confiscate. I have not heard the penalties for non-compliance or what violence the NZ government intends to do to the people who don’t comply with the new edict but who have committed no other crime.

New Zealand already licences and background checks all their gun owners. Owning a firearm is a privilege given from the New Zealand government. Gun control proponents focus on New Zealand’s “weak points” are that they do not have a universal registrar for guns.

We know registration leads to confiscation. We know registrars are not useful in solving or preventing crime in a meaningful way, Canada stopped there registry because it was a money pit and my own home state of Michigan wants to dump the handgun registry for the same reason.

Making another rule to prevent an individual or group who doesn’t play by your rules not kill people is an asinine concept. It is security theater on a grand scale. Giving up the means and responsibility of your individual protection to state that already proved they cannot shoulder that responsibility. Nor is it their job to.

We cannot socially engineer violence out of the human condition. Assuring that good law abiding people are not armed does will not stop the madman.

To my amusement, in a world spanning act of civil protest the internet servers set up to start registering guns for turn in were crashed by spam posts.

So now New Zealand will have:

Gun owner licensing/universal background check (which is never actually universal
A form of universal registration (which is never universal)
An “assault weapons” ban and buyback (for any who give the weapons back for the pittance they are paid for their property they have committed no crime with)
And a smug sense of morally superior activism that will have done nothing to improve the physical security of anyone in the island nation against this type of attack, or most crime in general

It’s still astonishing to me that if the moral, legal, and ethical prohibition against mass murder wasn’t enough to stop somebody… what makes anyone believe a law against owning one, just one, method of completing such an attack will stop it?

The arguments of that center around the “we don’t need to make it easier…” camp of moral projectionism are just that, a projection of the illusion of collective responsibility for an attack. This is why organizations like the NRA are attacked as enablers and are accused of secretly wanting and revelling in this violence.

Saying that this is clearly an error in policy is so much easier than admitting that one person, or a very small group, can and will always be capable of extreme carnage against soft targets. This admission would deprive the state of its quasi-monopoly on the use of force. Admitting they can’t protect you and that breaking their rules can only result in a criminal case against you, not magically stop the loss of life because it is both wrong and against the law.

This is why we need the Second Amendment.

I notice that not one article on this subject I read today mentioned that the reason we couldn’t make such sweeping knee jerk reactionary changes here in the U.S. was the Constitution. No it was the usual litany of clingers and the NRA, not the fact that it is a constitutionally enshrined right.

1. NOBODY IS COMING TO SAVE YOU. Whether an event lasts a few seconds, a few hours, or even a few days – you have to work as though nobody is coming to save you.

2. You are your savior, so start working because EVERYTHING IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. You are your security, you are your medic, you are your rescuer.

3. You are your own best resource to SAVE WHO NEEDS TO BE SAVED. Nobody wants to save your life more than you, so set yourself up for success by having the simple tools and knowledge to do so: do what you can with what you have. Recognize that nobody is in a better position to start saving your life than you.

4. Sometimes saving lives means you have to KILL WHO NEEDS TO BE KILLED. It has been almost 15 years since I first wrote “the more effective you are at taking a life, the more successful you’ll be at saving one” and nothing in the intervening time has changed my mind. Be swift, be decisive, be final.

5. Mostly, ALWAYS BE WORKING. There is always something you can be doing to improve your position. Always. Because nobody is coming to save you.

–The Killhouse Rules

The D-50 is Loose! Magpul® PMAG® D-50 LR/SR GEN M3® MAG993 Now Shipping

By

Keith Finch

-

March 21, 2019

A few years ago, we introduced the PMAG D-60® AR/M4, and ever since then, we’ve been working on how to make it better… and we couldn’t. Instead, we decided to make it bigger and louder. Introducing the Magpul PMAG® D-50™ LR/SR GEN M3™. Designed for those looking to carry 50 rounds of 7.62×51 NATO, because bigger is always better, no matter what anyone tells you.

The D-50 is a rugged, lightweight, and reliable 50-round polymer drum magazine designed for 7.62×51 NATO/.308 Winchester ammunition for SR25/M110 pattern rifles. It’s capable of using longer-than-SAAMI-spec match ammunition, up to 2.830” OAL, such as M118LR. Engineered to the same exacting standards as the famous Magpul PMAG and PMAG D-60 drum magazines, the D-50 continues the PMAG tradition of high-capacity performance and dependability. In addition, the D-50 brings GEN M3 features, which means enhanced strength, durability, and reliability. A ratcheting loading lever removes spring tension, making the D-50 easily loadable by hand. An anti-glare translucent window on the rear of the drum makes for quick positive visual indication of remaining ammunition. Additionally, the D-50 can be disassembled quickly with a simple flat blade screwdriver, and a has a dot matrix pattern that allows for easy marking and identification. At approximately 1.5 lbs. empty, and 4.5 lbs. loaded, the Magpul D-50 is one of the lightest 50-round 7.62×51/.308 drums available and is priced well below current competition. Designed specifically for 7.62×51 NATO/.308 Winchester ammunition and use with other calibers such as .260 Remington or 6.5 Creedmoor is not recommended.

Specifications

Weight: 1.726 lbs.
Width: 4.64”
Length: 4.35”
Height: 8.34”
Made in the USA.

The Cobray M11/9 – Makin’ the 80s Roar

By

Travis Pike

-

March 21, 2019

There is something about the machine pistol that dominated the 1990s, especially in the pop culture realm. The MAC 10, the Tec 9, and the Mini-Uzi dominated the movie market and were the guns of bad guys as far as movies were concerned. They are large, scary, but compact and could be easily hidden for taking over plazas, planes, and even trains. Life and fiction often intercede and these guns did become favorites of criminals and terrorists in a variety of capacities. The controversial nature, the design, and my love of 1980s action moves lead me to purchase a Cobray M11/9. That and a 200 dollar price tag.

Mines not much of a looker. That low price tag came with a lot of rust that I’m still trying to bust off of the gun. Every corner of the gun is roughly, and a bit rusted. But it shoots.

The Cobray M11/9 is often mislabeled the MAC 11. The MAC 11 is a 380 ACP version from the original Military Armament Corporation. The Cobray M11/9 is a weapon based on the MAC series of guns but is a pistol and not an SMG. This is a cheap, title 1 way to acquire a MAC type pistol.

The M11/9 and MAC Family in Pop Culture

MAC style firearms absolutely filled movies in the 80s and early 90s. They were often post samples, or converted to full auto, or blank firing only full autos, or any other way to simulate full auto fire. No one wants to see a MAC firing one round at a time.

The MAC and its derivatives starred in over a 100 movies and television shows in the 1980s and 90s. The MAC 10 stared in over 60 movies between 1980 and 1990. Outside of movies the terms MAC 10, MAC 11, and the MAC show up in dozens of rap songs. A quick search of Lyrics.com shows just how easy it is to weave these guns into rhymes.

As a kid who was raised on violent action movies and tv show I saw the MAC is movies like Invasion USA, the Lethal Weapon series, Cliffhanger, and Robocop. Not to mention shows like Miami Vice and the A-Team featured the MAC. We can’t forget it’s famed movie premier with John Wayne where a suppressed MAC 10 was his constant co-star. The gun is literally on the movie’s poster.

In the Real World

The first thing you notice when picking up the MAC is it’s grip is way too wide. It’s wide for my 2XL hands. The second thing is how heavy this beast is. The third thing is that you realize it feels pretty gangster in the hand.

The look, weight, and massive magazine lends itself to that famed gangster look and feel. Its like the modern Tommy Gun in a lot of ways. Except it wasn’t really used in crime.

There was certainly a few high profile criminal uses of these guns, but they were never used in widespread crime. SMG variants are rare and too valuable for average criminal use. They did pop up here and there in Miami during the 1980s Drug Wars. However, when compared to other weapons used in crime the MAC series would be minuscule in comparison.

Pistol variants like the M11/9 are much cheaper, but also huge, heavy, hard to conceal and offer no advantage over the standard Glock 19. The MAC and its criminal reputation comes from its association with bad guys in movies, rap songs, and of course the scary way it looks.

Shooting the M11/9

The original MAC 10 series of guns has an incredible rate of fire and would dump a 32 round magazine in about 1.2 seconds. International Association of Police Chiefs weapons researcher David Steele once said the MAC 10 was, “fit only for combat in a phone booth”.

To help control the MAC 10 a suppressor from SIONICs was introduced that was absolutely massive. It wasn’t only a suppressor, but it was designed to be held to help support the gun.

The semi-auto M11/9 is a bit different. It’s a closed bolt, semi-auto design. The frame is extended and it looks like a stretched out MAC. The gun is a lot of fun to shoot, but not exactly an easy gun to shoot. First off, the massive bolt that runs back and forth throughout the gun, this seems to make the gun rear backward and then dart forward creating an interesting recoil impulse. That being said muzzle rise isn’t bad at all.

The M11/9’s sights are atrocious. They feature an open sight and below it a rear peep sight. The peep sight is terrible, and without a stock, it’s pretty terrible. The open sights on the rear are tiny, but far from perfect.

The front sight is a bent piece of metal that is somewhat hard to see. I can outshoot this gun with my J frame snub nose.

The trigger is actually surprisingly nice. It’s light, a hair long, but the reset is very short. I was honestly shocked. These guns also have a lot of trigger slap, and that’s why it has a small piece of rubber over the trigger. This stops it from hurting your trigger finger.

But It’s Fun

The gun is still so much fun to fire. Sure, I’m not producing tight groups but burning through a magazine of 9mm has never been funner. Firing one handed, or fro the hip like an 80’s bad guy puts a stupid smile on my face.

Yeah the ergonomics kind of suck outside of the trigger and safety. The safety is an AR type design and floats back and forth with ease from safe to fire. It’s very easy to use though. Be prepared to pinch yourself a time or two use the top coking device.

Wooo everyone loves a heel mag ejection right?

Also, the aftermarket is surprisingly large. You can even swap uppers for something more modern with rails, a side coking device, and enhanced ergonomics. MAC pistols can even be built from unfinished 80% lowers. You can change mag platform to the Sten or Uzi. Also metal magazines are affordable and available from Shockwave technologies. I have 3 or their 30 rounders and one of their insane 50 rounders.

The MAC, and by extension, the Cobray M11/9 series are fun and fascinating guns. They are an interesting piece of firearms history for both the gun world and the pop culture word.

This little burp gun isn’t perfect and a Glock would be much more viable in any serious situation. But a Glock will never be as cool as a MAC, or even a Cobray M11/9.

. . . And the Beat Goes On

By

DRGO

-

March 20, 2019

(from motherjones.com)

[Ed: This is the second part of the article begun Tuesday.]

Next, a misleading article claiming that “Household Gun Ownership and Youth Suicide Rates at the State Level, 2005–2015” in March’s American Journal of Preventive Medicine, from Michael Siegel, MD, MHP of the Boston University School of Public Health. This is another cross-sectional study (no trend analysis) comparing states to each other, examining data in aggregate through that decade. The data comes from surveys, not coroners, so it is surely incomplete. Dr. John Lott thoroughly dismantled their notions on Dana Loesch’s show on NRATV January 30. Read on for my take.

There is a correlation between household gun ownership and both overall suicide rate and suicides using firearms, particularly sound for 14-19 year olds. These are the ages in which adolescents become trusted more around firearms by most families. However, there is no correlation between firearm ownership and attempts at suicide specifically with firearms.

So possessing firearms is not the issue, despite their claims. The fact that firearms are more immediately lethal is the key factor. And “a significant association was not found between the proportion of gun households with unlocked and loaded firearms and the rate of youth suicide” although other studies have found that.

Because of all this, they conclude that “lowering the overall prevalence of household gun ownership could be an effective strategy to prevent youth suicide.” So they think this is another excuse to restrict gun ownership in general. As always, they ignore the public health benefit of guns in America (see above re: Kleck). More pointedly, that is an overreaction typical of the public health research complex. The clear answer is for owners to be more careful about controlling access and monitoring their adolescents’ mental health—which is an increasingly widespread theme in the real world of firearm ownership already.

A study in April’s Preventive Medicine by University of Texas (Galveston) Medical Branch authors claims: “Gun access strongly predicted gun violence even after controlling for mental health.” It is true that diagnosable mental illness has an extremely minor role statistically in nearly all episodes of shooting events, and it is likely that “hostility” and “impulsivity” is more influential in the average shooting episode (though there are plenty premeditated, too). But the study simply asked 663 present or former high school students, averaging 22 years old, selected (how?) from 7 cities in the South, whether they had ever threatened someone with a gun. 16 said yes.

That’s all we need to know that there is no substance to these findings at all. A very small sample of a tiny fraction by age and geography of America self-reported what they thought meant acting threatening. Yes, this was “18.15 times . . . more likely” if they “had gun access” (whatever that means). One supposes that threatening with a gun would be more likely if you have one available than not. Unexplored alternatives include threatening with fists, knives, bats or to run someone over. So, no, it’s not true that “access to firearms was the primary culprit [or that the] findings have important implications for gun control policy efforts.” The only reason papers like this see the light of day is journals’ and their reviewers’ hunger to blame guns.

On March 7, The Hill reported a British Medical Journal study, again with principals from Boston University School of Public Health (including the infamous Bindu Kalesan), “State gun laws, gun ownership, and mass shootings in the US”. This has more holes than a buckshot squirrel, and bigger ones too. It compares relative stringency of state gun control laws with rates of “mass shootings”.

The comparison of gun laws were taken, for a change, not from Brady’s annual grades but from the widely referenced Traveler’s Guide to the Firearms Laws of the Fifty States by Scott Kappas. This rates a grab bag of factors having nothing to do with availability or use of firearms for criminal purposes and everything to do with how many hurdles responsible gun owners have to deal with in different states.

Gun ownership is not determined or estimated independently but is considered proportional to the rate of firearm suicides in each state (see above for a discussion of the validity of research on that subject in adolescents). This is a commonly used proxy for household gun ownership rates. But its validity is increasingly uncertain now that owners frequently deny possession, and so it can no longer be assumed to be accurate.

They looked at each state’s gun law ratings over the study years 1998-2015, and compared them to the incidence of mass shootings. But trends in the incidence were not considered along with changes in gun laws, a critical flaw. They categorized states as either “restrictive” or “permissive” on the basis of scoring more or less than the median, which still permits wide variance on either side. And some states don’t consistently report to the Uniform Crime Reporting System the authors took shootings data from, and Florida was omitted because it does not participate. (It is the state in which the Orlando and Parkland shootings occurred, and has a high rate of gun ownership and relatively permissive laws.)

By their calculations, the difference between these two categories in frequency of mass shootings ranged from .05 to .10 per million people. That’s no more than 1 event per 10 or 20 million people, which is a finding that can meet statistical significance but that does not translate into real world distinction. This is a finding without purpose, as there are so many far more risky events in life to fear, beginning with simple, non-mass murder but expanding to include traffic accidents, falls, drowning and lightning strikes.

The scatterplots of mass shootings vs. gun ownership and mass shootings vs. type of laws show the usual broad bunching of suggestive, but not definitive correlations. Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut did fall low in both mass shootings and “permissiveness”. But thinly populated, highly permissive Vermont landed high on frequency (affected greatly by rare events) and thinly populated, highly permissive Alaska registered none. State gun ownership, unsurprisingly, is higher with less restrictive laws.

This adds up to garbage in, garbage out publishing. To be fair, the input is as good as available, but not good enough to know it is meaningful given all its inconsistencies and inaccuracies. The conclusion that mass shootings occur proportionally with “permissive” state laws just can’t be taken at face value. For more interesting statistical analysis of this paper, especially how gun ownership correlates to mass shootings and types of gun laws, see B.J. Campbell’s article “Gun Laws Have Basically No Impact on Mass Shooter Rate”.

All of these studies are classically irrelevant research, internally contradictory and externally meaningless. But they are great stuff for academics tooting their bandwagon horn for more money to do more research to build their careers as supposed experts on the public health crisis of “gun violence”. It can’t be a coincidence that these folks dedicate their careers to proving that the preferred way to reduce shootings is by more gun . . . excuse me, people control.

.

— DRGO Editor Robert B. Young, MD is a psychiatrist practicing in Pittsford, NY, an associate clinical professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

All DRGO articles by Robert B. Young, MD

FN 509 Midsize: The New Polymer King

By

Andy Grossman

-

March 20, 2019

Polymer midsize carry pistols are exploding onto the market since Glock took over that seat at the top with the G19. I have never been a huge Glock guy. However, I have always been a fan of the small frame carry guns.

I always just accepted that I would carry less rounds while being able to conceal easily. The Glock 19 never felt that great to me at the range and it just didn’t seem worth losing the comfort and ease of concealing a small frame pistol for something larger and not that impressive in my opinion. With that being said, when FN released the new 509 Midsize and I got the chance to handle it at SHOT Show and felt like it was time to revisit the midsize market.

The new FN 509 Midsize is pretty much identical to the original FN 509 with the exception of the 15-round capacity, some smaller parts, and a shortened frame. I immediately was impressed with the overall look and feel of the 509 Mid. The FN 509 mid really looks identical to the original model but feels much better in the hands. The shorter frame, 15-round magazines, and a new slide stop definitely add to the appeal of this package. The original 509 was difficult to conceal with the longer frame. However, the Midsize, although only a touch shorter, makes a world of difference when it comes to concealability. The FN 509 Midsize is right on par with the Glock 19’s frame size. Parts are actually interchangeable from the full size 509 to the midsize 509.

Polymer EDC Contender

The new 509 Mid has a few improvements over it’s bigger brother. The reshaped grid around the mag button means that the FN was able to use the standard 509 mag release with none of the old issues that the original 509 had.

FN also utilized the reduced power spring that is included with the 509 Tactical model. This makes the pistol much easier to rack the slide, making the midsize much more user friendly. The magazine from the original 509 and the new 509 midsize may look identical. However, the new magazine utilizes a redesigned baseplate, shorter mag spring length, and the overall length of the magazine body has been shortened to match the shorter grip.

The 509 boasts some of the best slide serrations on the market in terms of feel and overall look. They grip very well while not being too aggressive. With the use of those serrations and the tactical model’s spring you have a pistol that any shooter can handle with ease. The slide takes minimal strength to rack back and all hands that handled the pistol during my time testing it loved that about it.

One feature I really liked was that the 509 Tactical barrel actually fits into the Midsize without issue since the slides share the same internal specs. If you are someone who wants to throw a can or compensator on the 509 a simple barrel swap will make it easily possible. No aftermarket barrels are needed.

Like all 509 models the Midsize backstrap can be swapped out giving options for the individual shooters grip. Unfortunately, to change out the backstrap you need a small punch. It would be nice for FN to make changing the strap a bit easier and at least provide a tool to use if you want to change it.

One reason I am not a fan of the G19 is because of the thick bulky grip. Using the flat backstrap panel I retained a thinner feeling grip. Glock guys don’t worry though, you do have the option of a curved panel that makes the grip a little larger to give you that Glock like feel.

Shooting Its Way to The Top

My first trip to the range I was a little skeptical of the pistol’s abilities. The trigger had a little bit of a gritty feel to it at first and I was not a fan of how tall and bulky the sights looked. I loaded up 2 full magazines and decided to jump right into it. The first 15 rounds struck the paper at a distance of 7 yards. When the smoke cleared, I was shooting consistently low and a little left. It was a great grouping though at less than 1 inch. I’m positive that this was due to shooter error because of the sights. I am used to Sig style sights and the FN has a little bit different sight picture.

Once I adjusted for the sight picture on the second magazine and produced the same grouping but dead center on paper. Time to really test the 509 out. That first outing to the range I burnt through 250 rounds in less than 30 minutes. That gritty trigger smoothed out after the first 100 rounds or so also. The gun was just so well balanced, performed incredibly well, and ate anything I fed it. Hornady Critical Defense, Sig Sauer V-Crown Elite Performance, The Hunting Shack FMJ, Aguila FMJ, and my new personal defense favorites; Barnes Tac-X PD Defense rounds.

Just For Fun

With over 1,000 rounds down range with the 509 Midsize I experienced not a single malfunction. The 10-yard groups were very impressive, the best group at this distance was around 1.25 inches and was shot with the Barnes Tac-X PD Defense rounds.

I happened to go out and do some indoor shooting during the testing of another firearm at a 50 yard range. The FN 509 Midsize happened to be on my hip. I decided to see what this gun would do at 50 yards just for the hell of it. I was able to put 30 out of 30 rounds of Aguila 124 grain full metal jacket on target at 50 yards. For a midsize pistol I was very impressed with these results.

The New Top Dog

Having never been the biggest fan of midsize polymer pistols I was skeptical about the new FN. This skepticism changed quickly once I ran this gun through the ringer. To say I was impressed with the FN 509 Midsize would be an understatement, I was absolutely blown away. So blown away, this gun has joined my personal carry arsenal now.

Just a flat-out great shooter that is easy and comfortable to carry and perfect for all skill level shooters to operate. In my opinion this is a pistol far superior to the Glock’s most people normally look towards in this category of pistol. The FN 509 Midsize is currently available at FN dealers and carries an MSRP right on par with its competition at $649.00. Overall, it shoots better, looks better, and has better features than the Glock platform. I would highly recomend getting your hands on one to carry everyday.

FN 509 Midsize Specs

Caliber: 9mm

Action: Double-action striker-fired

Weight: 26.5 ozs.

Length: 7.4″

Barrel Length: 4″

Height: 5.2″

Width: 1.35″

Twist: 1:10″ RH

Trigger Pull: 5.5 to 7.5 lbs.

Sight: Fixed, 3-dot night

Sight Radius: 5.79″

Controls: Ambidextrous

Capacity: 15+1

MSRP: $649